Historic African-American cookbooks with fantastic recipes from the 1800s

Hotel Keepers, Head Waiters, and Housekeepers’ Guide

Written in 1848 by Tunis Gulic Campbell, this manual is described as the second major Black-authored culinary work in America. An active Republican who was elected as a senator for Georgia in 1868, Campbell worked as a hotel steward as well. His manual contained the supervision and management of first-class restaurants and hotel dining rooms. His cooking recipes include, among many others, Corn Bread, Buckwheat Pancakes, Brown Celery Sauce, Lobster Sauce, Roasted Eel, Wild Duck, Wigeons or Teal, Larks, Fried Sweetbreads and Kidneys; Soups of Sorrel, Asparagus, Craw-fish, and Turnip; Tarts of Almond, Apple or Pear, and Lemon or Orange; Artichoke or Potatoe Pie, Apple Dumplings, and A Trifle.